In your test what was the best board for handling chop and what design characteristics gave it that ability?

This is exactly the root of the problem: We didn't have choppy conditions last week at all! It was kinda maybe somewhat choppy in the sound on Monday & part of Tuesday when we had 3.7 conditions. But I sure wasn't taking the 110L boards out those days! Maybe I should have. So I'm really just guessing at the chop handling capabilities of these boards. Which is unfortunate since heavy chop is a fact of life more often than not where I sail most, and is a strong factor in my choice for a new board. So I come to you all!

I gues the webmaster has to take another look at the Cross III 114. Spec. is supposed to say 38 cm fin. A goof.

Yup, I just got an email back from Exocet explaining that that was a typo on the website.

jingebritsen wrote:

Did you sail it lit up, or barely powered?

I recall I was adequately but not overly powered with a 7.0 on the Cross III 114. There wasn't anything I disliked about it, but I don't recall being wowed by it like I was with a couple others. It's hard because there are so many variables and who knows if maybe I would've been wowed by the Cross III in slightly different conditions, maybe even later the same day.

I did the test, too, and I didn't like the Quattro 110 very much. I thought it didn't plane early, and it wasn't maneuverable enough to justify its not planing early. I didn't find it comfortable way-powered in chop, either. I thought the RRD FireRide 110 was a lot better in the role of early planing / fast / maneuverable board.

For high speed over nasty chop I thought the Rocket 105 was a standout. A couple years ago we reviewed the Rocket 115 which rides similarly but I think would be better suited to handling both a 5.2 and a 7.0.

I thought the Cross III 114 was ok- good blend of speed, planing, control, and comfortable stance, but I would have liked to have tried it in "wave mode" with a smaller fin and a three-footstrap setup. In the Exocet line the RS 115 slalom board was my favorite. I thought it jibed well, hovered over chop, and was very very fast.

Thought the Carve 111 jibed well but was neither as fast nor as comfortable as I thought it was going to be.

The RRD FireMoves were designed to do well in chop so I wouldn't be concerned about that. RRD makes some of smoothest riding boards in pretty much every board category. To quote Boardseeker: "that smooth, soft and almost ‘luxurious’ feel that’s becoming a trademark of RRD boards".
If you're looking for even more top end than the FireMove then consider the new FireStorm 111. I debated sending that one to the test but ended up going with the FireStorm instead. From the feedback I've gotten it seems to have been a good call. The FireStorm has the rocker of the X-Fire but is designed to be more relaxing the ride and easier to control.

When you ran me down on your Carve 122 & 7.0 I was on the Rocket 125 with a 5.5 (light to medium powerred). I observed the same issue with the water conditions we had -- I have described it as flat relative to my normal sailing spots. Even at 3.7 it was not scary. With all that said I really wanted to ride the Rocket 105 but it was being repaired so I didn't make it. In talks with Andy at Wind-NC I told him how I liked the ride of the Rocket but needed a board specifically for 7.5 to 5.8 and he said (at my whopping 150 lbs) that the 105 was too small and the 125 was too big and that the 115 would be just right. I tend to agree based on the fact that I could plane up the 125 Rocket when numerous other folks were on 6.5 and up so my typical quiver of 7.5, 6.5, and 5.8 fit the board very well. The Rocket 125 was the wow board for me, it was just fun! I also have a 85 l freestyle wave that I use with 5.0, 4.2, and 3.7.

These choices were not in the test, and are my personal boards so I am used to them, and have a personal bias : But I used my 110 ltr RRD FSW, as sort of a control group the last day of the first week, and used it again yesterday in Logo high waves and side on wind. Plus I still like my 2007 JP FSW.

Just remember how flat Pamlico sound is. While all those boards were great for the freeride tests ...and the RRD Firemove 110, was my favorite as well...I would hardly call what we encountered chop and waves.

So maybe you want to look at the fast FSW boards for this season. Not just the fast.

Thanks everybody for the input. I went with a 2010 Tabou Rocket 115 in the GT construction, largely because I found a screamin' good closeout deal on it. Appreciate all the input. Can't wait to get it out on the water!

EDIT TO CLARIFY: When I say above that I chose the Rocket 115 "largely because I found a screamin' good closeout deal on it", I should point out that it was already near the top of a very short list of boards I was considering (thanks in large part to input from y'all here). The "screamin' good deal" just made the final choice an easy one. Anyway, the board will be here tomorrow. Can't wait for some wind!

Last edited by grayson on Wed Apr 20, 2011 12:22 pm; edited 1 time in total

Grayson , I have a 115, and 95 rocket, My favorite boards ever, they are very user friendly, but still very fast, I never feel out of control on my rockets, even in voodoo chop. I think you will be very happy! good luck.

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